*'''The Battle of Falkirk'''. Due to its location on one of the main routes north into the Highlands, Falkirk and [[Stirlingshire]] have been the site of many battles between the Scots and the English. Perhaps the most famous battle after Culloden and Bannockburn (just to the north of Falkirk) is the Battle of Falkirk between Robert the Bruce and the English army.

*'''The Battle of Falkirk'''. Due to its location on one of the main routes north into the Highlands, Falkirk and [[Stirlingshire]] have been the site of many battles between the Scots and the English. Perhaps the most famous battle after Culloden and Bannockburn (just to the north of Falkirk) is the Battle of Falkirk between Robert the Bruce and the English army.

*'''The Shortest street in the UK''' is just off the High St just behind the Steeple.

*'''The Shortest street in the UK''' is just off the High St just behind the Steeple.

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*'''The Steeple''' is a clock tower the forms the center piece of the High St and is said to be the site of public hangings and floggings.

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*'''The Steeple''' is a clock tower the forms the center piece of the High St and is said to be the site of public hangings and floggings, although these take place somewhat infrequently these days.

Revision as of 10:54, 8 April 2007

Contents

Understand

Get In

By plane

Falkirk has no airport, the nearest are:

Edinburgh International Airport[1]. (EDI) (19 mi/31km). Most overseas travellers will fly in via transfers at London's Heathrow or Gatwick Airports although you can now fly direct to Edinburgh from New York City and Atlanta and from major European hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt.

Glasgow International Airport[2] (GLA) (34mi/55km) is an alternative airport for domestic and European flights, as well as a few transatlantic routes. There's a frequent shuttle bus from outside the terminal building to the city centre, dropping off near both main railway stations (£3.30 single, £5.00 return; the journey takes about 20 minutes).

By car

Falkirk is mid way between Glasgow and Edinburgh and sits between the M8 motorway and the M9 motorway

By bus

There are regular bus services to Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh, all provided by First.

By boat

Falkirk is service by the Grangmouth Docks on the Forth River where light cargo ships and coastal tankers call. No ferry or passenger-only services are available.

The Forth and Clyde canal and Union Canals both pass through Falkirk and have been opened to small boat traffic. It is possible to travel from the river Forth to the river Clyde via the canal.

Get around

See

The Falkirk Wheel[3]. Built in 2001 to reconnect the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, it is the world's only rotating boat lift. Free entry to the visitor centre / cafe / gift shop. Boat trips up on the Wheel take about an hour, and cost £8 adults, £4.25 children, £6.50 concessions. Half hourly buses from the town centre.

Antonine Wall. Constructed during the reign of the roman Emperor Antonius Pius (138 AD - 161 AD) the wall runs across Scotland at its narrowest point between the Firth of Forth in the east and the River Clyde in the west. Although built to rival Hadrian's Wall , the emperor Antonius Pius succeeded, the wall was far less elaborate. Unlike its more solid southern counterpart, the Antonine Wall was built of turf fronted by a ditch 12 feet deep. The wall was 10 feet high and 14 feet wide and dotted with 29 small military forts linked by a road.As a defensive barrier the Antonine Wall did not fulfill its role for long. In 181 the northern tribes poured over the wall and pushed the Romans back to Hadrian's Wall. The Romans finally abandoned any hope of regaining the territory between the two walls in 196 AD.Antonine Wall facts:Length 37 miles (59km)Built 140-142 AD. You can see the site of the wall in the Kemper Avenue car park at the foot of the High st, just next to the ALDI supermarket and Calender park. The wall runs right through the middle of the town center or more accurately underneath the town center and several roman forts are dotted about the outskirts of the town.

The Battle of Falkirk. Due to its location on one of the main routes north into the Highlands, Falkirk and Stirlingshire have been the site of many battles between the Scots and the English. Perhaps the most famous battle after Culloden and Bannockburn (just to the north of Falkirk) is the Battle of Falkirk between Robert the Bruce and the English army.

The Shortest street in the UK is just off the High St just behind the Steeple.

The Steeple is a clock tower the forms the center piece of the High St and is said to be the site of public hangings and floggings, although these take place somewhat infrequently these days.

Do

Shopping

The main shopping area is around the High St. Three mini malls or shopping centers are available plus most of the major UK stores.

Eat

Fish and Chips

The Moscodini Brothers chip shop behind the Steeple, just off the High Street offers take away or sit down traditional fish and chips. Although there is an award winning Fish and Chip shop - The Land and Sea in nearby neighbouring Polmont.